With the opening of this new retail store, Rock/Creek will be able to showcase an expanded selection of whitewater kayaks, flatwater kayaks, canoes, vehicle racks and paddling accessories, and will become the region’s largest dealer for stand-up paddleboards (SUP).

“We’re excited about the store upgrade and looking forward to working with customers to quickly place them in the right boat with the right gear, all in one easy visit, without having to transfer items back and forth from our warehouse location,” explains Sara Horne, Rock/Creek’s Paddlesports Manager. She also notes that the location will feature a Yakima Rack fit center, where customers can have their car racks professionally installed.

The planned opening date for the new location is October 1, just in time for the Rock/Creek StumpJump 50k and Chattanooga RiverRocks festival. Presently, Rock/Creek is working with the Tennessee River Gorge Trust to bring back the popular Kayak for Conservation paddling fundraiser, which will serve as the new store’s grand opening celebration. Registration for this event will be available soon at rockcreek.com, with all proceeds benefiting the TRGT.

The new boating shop will replace the existing Rock/Creek Down Under store on River Street. The current distribution center, online customer service and buying offices will also relocate to this new location. In addition to doubling the retail size of the paddling store, the new location nearly doubles the current warehouse space while providing additional office space for rockcreek.com operations.

Along with Rock/Creek’s brick-and-mortar stores, rockcreek.com continues to grow, and the improved distribution center will help facilitate this growth. “In February, 2011, we launched a redesigned Web site on the ATG Oracle platform, and we continue to invest in this growing channel,” eCommerce Director Mark McKnight elaborates.

Rock/Creek was named Online Retailer of the Year by Backpacker Magazine and SNEWS for 2009, and received the 2011 Retailer of the Year award from the Grassroots Outdoor Alliance earlier this summer. Rock/Creek was also recently listed in Internet Retailer’s 2011 “Second 500” list of the largest online retailers.

—

About Rock/Creek: Rock/Creek is an independent specialty outdoor retailer based in Chattanooga, Tennessee with over 20 years of brick and mortar experience. With a dedicated staff of outdoor enthusiasts and gear experts, Rock Creek offers only the very best outdoor apparel and equipment from top brands like Marmot, Patagonia, The North Face, and Chaco Sandals to ensure that customers are comfortable and safe in the outdoors.

Through our retail stores and online at rockcreek.com, we provide quality gear for a host of outdoor sports including trail running, kayaking, rock climbing, camping, hiking, backpacking and adventure racing. As a leader in the outdoor industry and in the larger community, we use outdoor retail as a platform to encourage outdoor recreation and stewardship and to improve access to the backcountry.